15 October 2026: International Day of Rural Women

Rural women around the world are integral to managing natural resources and food production. Dalí Nolasco Cruz, an Indigenous woman from Tlaola, a village in the Mexican state of Puebla, speaks powerfully about the intimate connections between food production and women’s oppression, stating:

It is is incredible how a seed, a recipe, a food can be a symbol of the women’s struggle; how we can make the inequalities and injustices that we face day by day visible through food, and how food acts as a mechanism that controls access to all our rights… Even in the face of adversity women are protecting the food systems of the world, but we cannot do it alone…Without women there is communality, community, collectivity, self-determination or regeneration.

The UN observes Rural Women’s Day to recognize these distinct experiences, contributions, and difficulties. The UN has also declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer to raise awareness of women’s role in agricultural production.

The theme of this year’s observance is “Rural Women Farmers Caring for Mother Nature,” serving as an important reminder of the ways in which gender equality is deeply connected to our fight against poverty, hunger, and climate crisis.

According to the Food and Agriculture Association (FAO), women produce between 60 to 80 percent of the food in most developing countries, and 50 percent globally. Research from the Commonwealth of Learning recognizes women as essential to agricultural labor and family subsistence, yet they continue to experience more challenges than men in gaining access to land, credit, and other critical tools.

The UN asserts that farm yields could increase by 20 to 30 percent if women had the same access to resources as men. According to the 2026 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI), in 2025, around 645 million people were affected by hunger. For example, more than half of Africa’s population faced food insecurity.

Under international law, treaties like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) obligates states to address gender inequality, although not all have ratified it.

Article 14 of CEDAW requires state parties to account for “the particular problems faced by rural women and the significant roles which rural women play in the economic survival of their families.” CEDAW General Recommendation No.34 (2016) on the rights of rural women highlights the barriers that must be addressed, which include systemic discrimination, hazardous work with no protection, high risks of trafficking, forced marriage, and preventable disease.

This also intersects with the international rights of Indigenous peoples, although it is important not to generalize given the vast range of distinct Indigenous nations, histories, and cultures around the world. That being said, one common thread is how traditional knowledge and history of Indigenous peoples contributes to sustainable production and ecosystem management, which also means that these populations “suffer disproportionately” from the devastating effects of climate change.

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) requires that free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples is obtained in any matter that is central to their rights, survival, dignity, and well-being. Although this document is not legally binding, it sets out important international standards.

Rural women play a critical role in feeding communities and protecting ecosystems, as without them, a sustainable future is impossible. As UN Women states today: “Rights, resources and power must match their contributions to food systems, land, water, and biodiversity.” On this International Day for Rural Women, we owe it to our world’s most resilient producers and land defenders to do substantially better.